title: Is reducing drinking always the answer to reducing consequences in first-year college students?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pre-college drinking has been shown to be a predictor of risky drinking and harmful outcomes in college. By contrast, less is known about how pre-college alcohol consequences influence subsequent consequences during the freshman year. The present study examined pre-college drinking and consequences in relationship to consequences experienced during the freshman year to better understand alcohol-related problems in this population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Incoming freshmen (N = 340, 58% female) were randomly selected and completed measures of drinking quantity, alcohol-related consequences, and drinking style behaviors at pre-college baseline and at 10-month follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pre-college consequences demonstrated a unique relationship with consequences at 10-month follow-up controlling for both pre-college and freshman-year alcohol consumption. Furthermore, precollege consequences moderated the relationship between pre-college drinking and consequences at 10-month follow-up. For individuals who reported above-average pre-college consequences, no differences in 10-month follow-up consequences were observed across different levels of drinking. Finally, drinking style significantly mediated the relationship between the interaction between pre-college drinking and consequences and consequences at follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings demonstrate the need to identify students who are at an increased risk of experiencing alcohol-related problems during their freshman year based on their history of consequences before college. Interventions aimed at these students may benefit from examining the usefulness of increasing protective behaviors as a method to reduce consequences in addition to reducing drinking quantity.
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Center, Pennsylvania State University, 204 East Calder Way, State College, PA 16801, USA. kmallett@psu.edu
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Mallett
authors.forename: Miesha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marzell
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Turrisi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012306:Risk; D012309:Risk-Taking; D013177:Sports / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult